Will & Grace Story No 1: Matters Of The Heart
by Tim66
Summary: The gang realizes how much Karen means to them, when she suffers a severe heart attack.


DISCLAIMER: All Will & Grace characters belong to whomever created them, Im just borrowing them.

AUTHORS NOTE: This story takes place some point in the near future. Grace is now divorced from Leo and is once again living with Will. I should warn you that this story is much more dramatic in nature than you would find on a typical episode of Will & Grace. Considering the subject matter, I really had no choice. Please bear with me that I really dont know much about hospitals and surgery and may have made a few factual errors, sorry about that. Enjoy the story.

Tim McCree, February 18, 2004.

It was a rainy morning, and Karen Walker was feeling sluggish as she got out of bed. At first, Karen assumed it was just another hangover, but this felt different. _What's wrong with me?_ she thought as she stood up and looked around. _Maybe I'm just feeling lonely_. The penthouse seemed kind of empty these days. When Stan had died, his kids, Mason and Olivia, had been sent to live with their birth mother. Now just Karen, Rosario, and a bunch of domestics whose names Karen had never bothered to memorize, occupied the penthouse. Pushing these thoughts out of her head, Karen headed for the closet to get dressed.

_Okay, now which pattern should I use?_ Grace Adler thought as she looked down at the samples before her. She had arrived at her office an hour before and had been looking through samples ever since. Several clients had been interested in new looks for their homes, and Grace was happy for the work. Since her divorce from Leo had become final, Grace really didn't like having nothing to do, it gave her too much time to think. Looking up, Grace noticed that Karen was late. _What else is new?_ she thought, before returning her attention to the design samples. She was still trying to decide which one to pick when she heard Karen finally arrive. Grace looked up, getting ready to issue a witty comment, but that comment died in her throat when Grace saw Karen. _ My God, she looks terrible! _ Grace thought as she took in Karen's appearance. Karen seemed very pale and looked a lot more frail that usual._ She looks so sick! What's wrong with her?_

As the morning went on, Karen had been feeling progressively worse. Aside from feeling sluggish, she seemed to have a slight problem breathing. Even her usual pick-me-up of gin and tonic had not helped, but rather it had seemed to make it worse. She had debated calling in sick, but decided that the fresh air might help. As she arrived, Karen noticed that Grace was staring at her. _She must see how I look _. Karen thought. She opened her mouth to say good morning to Grace, when the first chest pains hit. "Ah!" Karen gasped, grabbing the left side of her chest.

"Karen? What is it? What's wrong?" Grace asked with concern as she moved towards Karen.

"I... I don't know... It..." Karen tried to reply, but winced as the chest pains grew worse and spread into her upper left arm: "Grace... Help..." Karen managed to say before she collapsed to the floor.

"KAREN!" Grace yelled and bent down over her fallen friend. Karen had grown even more pale, she was sweating heavily, and her breathing had grown even more ragged. Grace stood back and ran for her phone. Being married to Leo, a doctor, had taught her a few things and Grace knew a heart attack when she saw one. Quickly, Grace punched 9-1-1 and soon was speaking to a dispatcher. "Hello, this is Grace Adler of Grace Adler Designs!" Grace quickly gave the address of her office.

"What is your emergency, ma'am?" the dispatcher replied.

"I need an ambulance here, fast!" Grace said. "My assistant is having a heart attack!"

"Okay, I'll send the paramedics right away!" the dispatcher said.

"Please hurry," Grace said and looked over at Karen. _Hang on, Karen, they're coming_. she thought.

"Sorry, Jack, but I'm not interested." Will Truman said. He sat in his office, staring across at Jack McFarland.

"Oh come on, Will!" Jack said. "They're twins. I can't date one without a date for the other one! Please, pretty please!"

"Jack, I am not going to go out with Robert just because you want to date his brother, Donald!" Will said sternly. "Robert and I have nothing in common!"

"That's never stopped you in the past." Jack shot back.

"Now, look..." Will began, but then his office phone rang. He quickly picked it up. "Hello?"

"Will, it's me." Grace's voice said. "I'm calling from Manhattan Memorial Hospital."

"The hospital?" Will asked. "What happened, Grace?"

"Nothing happened to me," Grace replied. "It's Karen, she's had a heart attack."

"What!?"

"Karen had a heart attack," Grace said slowly. "Could you please come, Will." Grace added, her voice cracking.

"Don't worry, sweetie, I'm on my way," Will said. After hanging up the phone, he got ready to leave.

"What is it? What's going on?" Jack asked.

_Well, I guess Jack should know. _ Will thought, _He and Karen are friends, after all. _Taking a deep breath, Will broke the news. "Karen had a heart attack."

"What? No, that can't be!" Jack said, shaking his head.

"I'm afraid it is, Jack," Will replied. "I'm heading for the hospital now, if you want to come with me, you can."

"You're damn straight I'm coming with you!" Jack said with conviction.

Having ridden along in the ambulance, Grace had held Karen's hand during the whole trip to the hospital, even though Karen had been unconscious. Once they had arrived, Karen had been quickly wheeled away to the ER, while Grace had been shown to a small waiting room, where she now sat. After making her call to Will, Grace had been flipping through some magazines, not really reading them, and was relieved when Will arrived, accompanied by Jack. "Oh, Will, thank God!" Grace said as she ran over and hugged him.

"I got here as fast as I could," Will said. "Has there been any news so far?"

"No," Grace replied, shaking her head.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked.

"Yes, I am," Grace said.

"Have you called Karen's mother?" Will asked.

"I trie,." Grace replied. "However, it seems she's taken off for Europe. I can't get a hold of her."

"What about Rosario? Did you call her?" Jack asked Grace.

"Yeah, I called her. She's on her way."

"Excuse me," a doctor said as he entered the room and addressed Grace. "I'm Dr. Thomas Kent. Are you the one that came with Mrs. Walker when she was admitted?"

"Yes, that's me," Grace replied. "I'm Grace Adler. Karen Walker is my assistant."

"Who are these two?" Dr. Kent asked, pointing at Will and Jack.

"I'm Will Truman, Mrs. Walker's attorney," Will said.

"I'm a close personal friend of Karen's," Jack said.

"We're the closest thing Karen has to a family. Her husband passed away some time ago," Grace said. "So, Dr. Kent, what's the news?"

"Well Mrs. Walker was lucky you were close by when she collapsed," Dr. Kent said. "She's had a severe heart attack. If she's been alone when this happened, she would have died."

"My God., Grace said as she slowly sat down.

"However, we have stabilized her condition," Dr. Kent added. "She'll be in the Intensive Care Unit until her surgery."

"Surgery?" Jack asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Walker is going to need bypass surgery," Dr. Kent replied.

"Is it safe?" Grace asked.

"Don't worry, we've done this many times before," Dr. Kent said. "However, there is always a risk factor, but we really have no choice. Mrs. Walker's life depend on it."

"Can we see her?" Jack asked.

"Well..." Dr. Kent began.

"Please?" Jack persisted. "Karen means a lot to us."

"Well, okay," Dr. Kent said. "Five minutes, not a minute more."

Very quietly, Will, Grace, and Jack entered the ICU and quickly spotted Karen. She was lying in bed, hooked up to half a dozen monitors and tubes. As the group walked up, Karen opened her eyes and smiled weakly at them. "Hi Poodle." she said softly to Jack.

"Hi Kare," Jack replied, fighting the tears. "I hope they're treating you right here."

"They are," Karen replied.

"I'll be thinking about you, Karen," Jack said as he took her hand.

"I know. You're always looking out for me," Karen said, smiling at him.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Karen," Grace said. "I've been so worried about you."

"Hey, you know me, I'm indestructible," Karen replied. However, the fear was clear in her eyes. Karen had come very close meeting the Grim Reaper today, and she knew it. Her eyes then moved to Will. "I'm glad you're here, Will. I guess you know where everything is, the key to the safety deposit box, and all that."

"Don't worry, Karen. I'll take care of it," Will said. "You just get well."

"I'll try," Karen said.

"Okay, that's enough," Dr. Kent said as he arrived on the scene. "Mrs. Walker needs to rest. You all can come back tomorrow.

"But..." Jack began, but Will cut him off.

"Jack, the doctor is right. Karen will need all the rest she can get. We have to go," Will said.

"Well, okay," Jack said, but it was clear that he didn't want to leave. He turned back to Karen. "I'll be back tomorrow, Kare. Promise me you'll still be here."

"I'll try, Jack. I'll try," Was all Karen managed to say, before slipping off to sleep.

Later that evening, Will, Grace, and Jack were all sitting around Will and Grace's apartment, reflecting on the events of the day. Just as they were leaving the ICU, Rosario had arrived. She had chosen to remain at the hospital and promised to call if there was any sudden news. "Will, all that talk about the safety deposit box key. What was that about?" Jack asked.

"Jack, I..." Will began, but Jack cut him off.

"It was in case Karen died!" Jack stated, answering his own question.

"Yes, Jack, it was," Will replied grimly.

"Well, that's not gonna happen! Karen is not going to die!" Jack snapped.

"Jack, we may have to accept the fact that..." Will began.

"NO! I DON'T ACCEPT IT!" Jack screamed, cutting Will off. "YOU CAN'T MAKE ME ACCEPT IT! KAREN IS NOT GOING TO DIE! END OF DEBATE!" With that, Jack turned and ran out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. Seconds later, Will and Grace heard the door to Jack's own apartment slam shut as well.

"Damn, I could have handled that better," Will said.

"How?" Grace asked. "Should you have lied to him?"

"I don't know, Grace." Will said as he got up and headed for the kitchen area. "In many ways, Jack is so innocent."

"Will, we have to be prepared for the possibility that Karen might die," Grace said slowly. "I hate myself for saying this, but it's something we're all going to have to face."

"Yeah, but is doesn't mean we have to like it," Will said as he opened the fridge and took out the ice cream. He quickly made two dishes and placed them on the dining room table. Soon, he and Grace were sadly making their way through the ice cream. "You know, Grace, Karen and I were never the best of friends. It seems she was always teasing me, calling me 'Wilma' and other things."

"What are you doing, Will?" Grace asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You were talking about Karen in the past tense., Grace pointed out.

"I was? Sorry." Will said. "I guess this whole thing is getting to me as well. I just can't imagine not having Karen in my life, even though she annoys me to no end."

"I feel the same way," Grace said sadly. "It seems she is always teasing me about my clothes, my hair, my taste in men. Sometimes I just want to kill her. However, if Karen makes it out of this alive, I'd gladly put up with her antics again." Tears were spilling down her face. "Oh, Will, she is going to make it. Right?"

"I wish I could give you an answer, Grace," Will replied as he came over and hugged he. "However, I'm afraid it's out of our hands."

In his own apartment, Jack was in his bed, in a fetal position. He was consumed with grief. _Karen, you can't leave, not yet. It's too soon! _he thought._ We have too much left to do, too many places to go. Please, Karen, don't leave me_

The next day, Grace was back at her office, looking down at her work without really seeing it. Her eyes kept drifting over to Karen's empty desk. Thoughts were racing a mile a minute through Grace's mind _Should I hire a temp until Karen comes back? What if she never comes back? God, how can I be thinking of this? I hate this! I just hate this so much! It's not fair, Karen has so much to live for. Please God, if you're listening, give Karen another 40+ years. She deserves that much_. Grace was so lost in thought that she didn't realize Will had come into her office until he tapped her shoulder. "Uh! What? Oh, sorry, Will. I didn't see you." Grace quickly said.

"I guessed that," Will replied. "Thinking about Karen?"

"Yeah, I am," Grace said.

"Well I was on my way to see her and thought you'd want to come along."

"Thanks, Will," Grace said and quickly followed him out of the office.

Jack was already at the hospital when Will and Grace arrived. "Listen, I'm sorry about my little outburst last night," Jack said, looking down at the floor.

"It's okay, Jack, we understand," Will said. "Any news?"

"No," Jack replied, shaking his head. "However, the doctor said we could go in and see Karen, as long as we kept it down."

"Well, let's go," Grace said.

Once again, the group, this time accompanied by Rosario, headed into the ICU. "Hi." Karen said when she saw them. "I see you've finally decided to come see me." she said when her eyes fell on Rosario.

"Listen, lady, I was here all night," Rosario replied, trying to sound normal, but failing to hide the sadness in her voice.

"Hey, Ro-Ro, I was just teasing you." Karen said, smiling. "Never let it be said that a heart attack can stop Karen Walker from being funny."

"Well, it's good to see that your sense of humour hasn't entirely disappeared," Will said.

"Yeah." Karen replied and then saw Jack. "Hi Poodle."

"Who's your daddy?" Jack replied.

"You are., Karen said. She and Jack often traded light banter such as this.

"So, have they told you anything yet, Karen?" Grace asked.

"Yes, they did. They said my surgery is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, around three o'clock," Karen replied.

"Well I'm gonna be here then," Jack said with determination in his voice. "Giving my support."

"I think we're all going to be here," Grace said as she took Karen's hand in hers.

"Thank you all," Karen replied, her eyes misting over. "You never realize who your friends are until times such as this. You don't know what all of you being here means to me."

_Wow, this is quite deep, coming from Karen! _ Will thought. _I guess having a brush with death does change your outlook on many things._

"Okay, everyone, time to go," Dr. Kent said. "I need to speak to you all, since you are Mrs. Walker's closest friends."

"Okay, Doc," Jack replied and turned to Karen, "Take care, Karen, I'll be back later."

"Okay, sweetie, I'm not going anywhere." Karen replied.

Soon after, Will, Grace, Jack, and Rosario were meeting with Dr. Kent in his office. "Karen said she was going into surgery tomorrow." Grace said.

"That's right," Kent said. "Now, after the surgery, that's when the long road back truly begins for Mrs. Walker."

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

"What I mean is that if she is going to survive, Mrs. Walker is going to have to make certain changes in her lifestyle. I had a long talk with Rosario last night and I found out a few things about Mrs. Walker that you all probably know about."

"Uh oh!" Rosario mumbled.

"It seems Mrs. Walker has a fondness for alcohol," Kent went on.

"You got that right," Will said.

"Tell me about i," Grace added.

"Oh yeah, oh yeah!" Jack replied.

"Well, unfortunately, she is going to have to give that up," Kent said. "Also she is going to have to stop taking pills like they were candy."

"Easier said than done," Grace replied. "Karen has had these habits as long as I've known her."

"Is anything else wrong with Karen?" Will asked. "She doesn't need a new liver?"

"No, her liver is in amazingly good condition, considering the punishment it has apparently been taking all these years," Kent replied, shaking his head. "However, Mrs. Walker has been pushing her body for a long time now, and it finally pushed back. She's not as young as she once was."

"I wouldn't say that to her face," Grace muttered under her breath.

"Okay, here is the bottom line," Kent said sternly. "If Mrs. Walker wants to see her 50th birthday, she is going to have to exercise regularly, have a healthy diet, no alcohol, and no popping pills. Since you all are the closest thing she has to a family, you are going to have to make sure she sticks to the lifestyle adjustments I just outlined."

"We'll do it!" Jack piped up.

"What?" Rosario said.

"I said we'll do it," Jack replied. "If that is what it will take to keep Karen with us, that is what we're gonna do, no matter what."

"Who is gonna tell Karen she can't have any more booze?" Will asked.

"Not me," Rosario said. "She'd have me deported back to El Salvador!"

"Look, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Grace said. "Right now all we have to do is hope that Karen makes it through the surgery. Once that happens, we'll worry about those other details."

"You know, Mrs. Walker is very lucky to have friends like you," Kent said. "Well, I guess that's all for now."

"Can we go and see Karen again?" Jack asked.

"No, not today," Kent said, shaking his head. "However, you can briefly visit with her tomorrow, before she goes into surgery."

"We'll be here," Grace said. "Thank you, Dr. Kent."

The next day, the Will, Grace, Jack, and Rosario did return as promised. They were once again in the ICU with Karen. "I just want you to know that we'll be waiting, Karen." Jack said as he gently took Karen's hand.

"I know you will," Karen replied.

"Good luck, Karen," Grace said as she leaned over and kissed Karen gently on the forehead.

"Thanks, Grace."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Will said as he patted Karen's shoulder.

"I hope so," Karen replied and then her eyes turned to Rosario. "Don't worry, Rosy. Before long, I'll be back giving you hell."

"I look forward to it," Rosario replied. "It'll be nice to have things back to normal."

"Excuse me," a new voice said. The group looked up and saw that two orderlies had arrived with a stretcher. "We have to take Mrs. Walker and prep her for surgery now."

"Oh, okay." Grace said and stepped back, along with the others. As Grace and company looked on, the orderlies removed all the tubes and monitors from Karen and then moved her onto the stretcher. As Karen was wheeled away, she turned her headed and locked eyes with Grace. _Please pull through, Karen _. Grace thought. _ Life just wouldn't be the same without you_.

A short while later, Karen, having being prepped, was wheeled into the operating room. "Now just relax, Mrs. Walker," Dr. Kent said. "This will be over in no time."

"Easy for you to say, Doc," Karen replied. "It's not your chest that's going to be cut open." With those words, Karen closed her eyes and waited for the anaesthetic to be administered.

Once again, Will, Grace, Jack, and Rosario were in the waiting room. "What's taking so long?" Jack asked.

"Jack, they took Karen away not ten minutes ago!" Will said. "Surgery, especially heart surgery, takes a while longer than that."

"Wow, you sure know a lot," Grace said.

"I watch ER all the time," Will replied. "You see, I notice more on that show than all the good looking male doctors."

"You could have fooled me," Grace said.

"So, how did you meet Karen, Grace? Jack asked. "It never occurred to me to ask until now."

"I met her soon after I moved into my office," Grace replied. "I was interviewing for assistants, and here Karen shows up, looking like she just stepped off a plane from Monte Carlo." Grace smiled at the memory. "Anyway, I asked her if she was serious, and she said she was. She told me that being married to a rich man like Stanley Walker was making her think she was better than the common working person. She said that having a job as my assistant would keep her down to Earth. Plus, she said she could hook me up with very important rich clients. I just couldn't resist, so I hired her."

"Keep her down to Earth," Will said, shaking his head. "Boy, that sure didn't work."

"No, but she has helped me secure some good clients," Grace replied:."I guess it's worth the hassle of my phone not being answered, and faxes not being sent. She sits there every day, reading magazines and filing her nails, and she couldn't be happier. I just hope that she'll continue doing that."

"She will," Jack said with conviction in his voice. "Karen is not one to just give up."

"You like her a lot, Jack," Will said. "Come on, admit it. If you were straight, you'd go out with her in an instant."

"It is that obvious?" Jack asked with innocence. In reply, Grace, Will, and Rosario only rolled their eyes. "Yes, I would go out with her if I was straight." Jack admitted. "Why not? Karen is a sweet and wonderful person."

"You must be talking about a different Karen Walker than the one I know," Rosario said, "She makes my life a living hell, and she enjoys every minute of it. Of course, when I was going to be deported, she went out of her way to keep that from happening."

"Yeah, by having you marry me," Jack replied. "Until you were able to get your green card." Rosario nodded in reply.

"What is that silly alias Karen uses? When she doesn't want to be recognized?" Will asked.

"Anastasia Beaverhausen!" Grace replied. "If a name like that doesn't scream out 'alias', I don't know what does!" Everyone laughed.

"I remember the time Karen kept calling me to do silly things for her, like opening jars," Will said. "I told her over and over not to do it, but she just kept doing it. It drove me almost clear out of my mind."

"She does have that affect on people," Grace said. "However, I think I speak for all of us that our lives would be so much poorer if we lost her." Everyone nodded in agreement at Grace's statement. "Then let's just hope and pray that Karen makes it." Grace concluded.

Karen's surgery was now well under way, when suddenly, one of the monitors that was hooked up to Karen began to beep a warning. "She's going into arrest!" one of the assistants yelled.

"Damn!" Dr. Kent growled.

"What will we do?" the assistant asked.

"All we can to save her," Kent replied.

Karen suddenly found herself floating in a dark void, in which a bright light could be seen in the distance. Feeling no fear, Karen began to move towards the light. _So, I guess I did make it into Heaven after all._ she thought. _Which means I didn't make it. I'm going to miss Grace, Jack, Will, and Rosario._ Karen was almost at the light, when a familiar figure stepped out and blocked her way. "Stan!?" Karen said with surprise.

"Yes, Karen, it's me," Stanley Walker replied. "I have to speak to you, Karen. I have to apologize."

"Apologize?" Karen asked.

"Yes, for all the mistakes I made," Stan replied. "For getting myself thrown into prison, and, the worst of all, for being unfaithful to you."

"Ah, Lorraine," Karen said. "I remember her."

"I won't make excuses, Karen. I was unfaithful, I gave into temptation," Stan said. "I was so wrapped up in myself that I didn't realize I was hurting you. If I could do it again, Karen, I would not make the same mistake."

"Well, to be honest, Stan, I too was tempted to have an affair," Karen replied.

"I know," Stan replied. "However, you were able to resist that temptation, I wasn't. You were strong and I was weak. I just want you to forgive me, Karen, if you can."

"Of course I can," Karen replied. "I told people that I married you for your money, Stan, but I really did love you, even if I didn't show it a lot." The two of them embraced.

"There is one more thing I have to tell you, Karen," Stan said. "You have wonderful friends that care for you. Even as I speak, they are waiting for news about you in the hospital waiting room. I just want you to treasure those friends."

"You... You mean I haven't died?" Karen asked.

"No, it's not your time, Karen," Stan replied. "To get back, just turn around and go back the way you came."

"Okay... I... I'll always love you, Stan." Karen said with both sadness and happiness in her voice.

"I love you too, Karen," Stan said. "Now you must hurry and get back, before it's too late."

"Okay," Karen said. She turned and headed back the direction she had come in. Soon she disappeared back into the darkness.

_Have a good life, Karen._ Stan thought.

"Wait, she's stabilizing!" the OR assistant said.

"That was close," Dr. Kent replied. "For a few seconds I thought we had lost her. Let's get on with the operation."

Some time later, Dr. Kent came into the waiting room with good news. "The operation was a success." he said. "Mrs. Walker should make a full recovery."

"That's wonderful!" Grace replied. She saw looks of relief on the faces of Will, Jack, and Rosario as well.

"Where is Karen now?" Jack asked.

"Up in Recovery," Kent replied. "It'll be a day or so before she can have visitors again. I just thought I would let you all know that, as long as she follows the new guidelines I gave you, she should have a long and healthy life."

"Well, I promise you that we'll make sure she sticks with them," Grace said.

"That's all I can hope for, " Kent replied.

**THREE MONTHS LATER...**

The sun was shining as Grace woke up. _What a beautiful morning._ Grace thought and turned to look at Karen, who lay sleeping beside her. Following Karen's release from the hospital, Grace had insisted that Karen come live with her and Will for a while. Karen had taken Grace up on her offer. Grace remembered the conversation that followed.

_"Grace, where will I sleep?" Karen asked. "On the couch?"_

_"No, you'll sleep with me," Grace replied. "My bed as plenty of room. We can share."_

_"Are you sure about this?" Karen asked, a small smile coming across her face. "This isn't some scheme to seduce me?"_

_"Oh, Karen!" Grace said, playfully poking Karen in the arm. Grace, of course, knew that Karen was just kidding._

_"Okay, I accept." Karen then said. "However, where will we put all my clothes? Your closet is nowhere near big enough!"_

_"Well we could rent another apartment!" Grace replied with a smile._

The smell of breakfast snapped Grace out of her memories. Slowly getting out of bed, as not to disturb Karen, Grace headed for the door.

Will was in the middle of preparing breakfast, when Grace came out of her room. "Good morning, Grace," Will said. "Is Karen up yet?"

"Not yet." Grace replied. "Breakfast smells good."

"Yeah, I have to admit this low cholesterol food tastes better than I thought it would," Will said.

"Ah, what's this I smell," Jack said as he breezed into the apartment.

"Well, you're right on schedule," Will said. "Now the only person we need to wait for is Karen."

Karen opened her eyes and sat up. The smell of breakfast had awakened her and she smiled gratefully. _I have to admit, Grace and the others are really taking care of me. _she thought to herself. Over the few months she had lived here with Will and Grace, they, along with Jack, had made sure Karen had stuck with her diet, got her required exercise, and most important, had helped her through the pains of alcohol withdrawal. Karen shuddered as she remembered the shaking fits and the cravings. Will, Grace, and Jack had always been there with Karen when those cravings hit, holding her, comforting her, assuring her. It had worked, because Karen had not had an alcohol craving for a few weeks now. Maybe the worst was over. She looked around Grace's room. _It's funny but I always used to think this place as small, but now I find it comforting _. Karen thought. _ I really have no urge to go back to the penthouse anytime soon. Oh well, it doesn't matter, Rosario can look after things there for as long as need be. She's probably living it up over there, but that's okay, she's earned a break. Besides, she stops by here often enough to check up on me, so that shows she really cares about me. _ With that thought in mind, Karen got up, put a robe on, and headed out of the bedroom. As she emerged into the living room, she saw that Will, Grace, and Jack, were waiting for her at the breakfast table. _I used to think money made me rich._ Karen thought as she headed toward the table. _However, I was wrong. The Karen Walker that thought money could buy happiness died on the operating table. Me, a newer, better Karen Walker, knows better. _ Smiling, Karen sat down and looked at Grace, Will, and Jack. _Stan was right about me having wonderful friends. Having friends like Grace, Will, Jack, and Rosario has made me richer than I could ever imagine._

**THE END**


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